Beijing rag schooled for touting Traditional Chinese Medicine; threats to species raised

Taking to Twitter, Chinese mouthpiece Xinhua shared information about the age-old practice of TCM - Traditional Chinese Medicine - stating that it 'prevails in modern society' along with a link to a detailed article about the practice. The Chinese mouthpiece touted that traditional Chinese medicine is 'one of the world's oldest forms of medicine' adding that it prevails today even after 'thousands of years of evolution'. The netizens, however, did not take this well and took the opportunity to slam China over TCM practices which have led to the near-extinction of species of animals like rhinos and pangolins. 

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Netizens unimpressed by praise for TCM 

Slamming China for the traditional practice that often includes the killing of several endangered species for their use in theraputics, netizens said that animals are killed and herbs are smuggled for such TCM practices. Some users pointed out that traditional Chinese medicine practices should be banned as pangolins and rhinos are 'close to extinction' due to the 'insanely ineffective TCM treatments'. Speaking further about these practices, netizens also schooled the Chinese mouthpiece after stating that animals are 'tortured' for TCM treatments while terming the practice as 'deplorable and shameful'.

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Traditional Chinese Medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCM) is considered one of the world's oldest forms of medicine which uses different practices such as acupuncture, bee-sting therapy, cupping, moxibustion, scrapping, tuinaing, tui na (Chinese therapeutic massage). Despite being over a thousand years old, these practices still prevail in modern society. One form of Chinese medication uses some strange and rare animal parts such as cow gallstones, hornet nests, leeches, scorpion, the horn of the antelope or buffalo, deer antlers, genital bones of dog, snake bile, powdered horn of Rhino, etc.

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